BRADFORD campaign groups and brewers are supporting calls for the government to introduce a new “guest beer right” which would allow every pub to serve at least one beer from a small local brewery.

Currently, thousands of UK landlords are tied into contracts which force them to purchase all of their beer and many other drinks from a single big brewery or pub company.

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) is calling on the government to make the change as they say the right to buy a guest beer helps pubs attract more business, improves consumer choice and helps local brewers who have been hit hard over recent years.

SIBA chairman Roy Allkin said: “Pub goers want to see more beer from small breweries sold in pubs and the review of the Pubs Code provides the opportunity for the government to give tied pub tenants in England and Wales the same right to offer a guest beer as is being introduced in Scotland.

“Pub tenants should have the freedom to purchase a beer from a local small brewery which would expand consumer choice and allow tenants to meet their customers’ expectations and compete more effectively with nearby free houses.”

Peter Down, a spokesperson for the Bradford branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said: "CAMRA is pushing for all pubs to have a guest beer. Publicans should have this flexibility.

"It can be quite restrictive to have to buy through a pub company. They have a set list and pubs are forced to buy from that list.

"I've known publicans who will buy a guest beer and then incur the wrath of their pubco.

"I'd be quite happy for all publicans to have one beer free from ties."

"I would welcome it with open arms," said Luke Craven, director of Ilkley Brewery. "This has long been a frustration for small breweries.

"If we could access our local pubs, it would be a game changer.

"There are about 3,000 licensed premises in a 30-mile radius from us and we can access only 40 per cent of them.

"I'd say the vast majority of pubs would like to have access to local beers but it's just not cost-effective for them because of the mark-up pub companies would charge on one of our casks."

The government is carrying out a review of the Pubs Code.

The code came into force in 2016 with the aim of regulating the relationship between pub companies and their tied pub tenants.